Combination lock



April 11, 1967 E. D, N ORIREMARK 3,313,133

COMBINATION LOCK Filed Jan. 23, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 WWW? 34 Aprifi 11, 1967 E. D. NORREMARK 3,313,133

COMBINATION LOCK Filed Jan. 25, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent 3,313,133 COMBINATION LGCK Eigil Dybdal Norremark, Havdrupvej 6, Bronshoj, near Copenhagen, Denmark Filed Jan. 23, 1964, Ser. No. 339,778 4 Claims. (Cl. 70299) The invention relates to a combination lock with three or more tumbler plates which are adjusted stepwise by means of an adjustment mechanism in such manner that a slot provided in each tumbler plate is in position opposite a dowel, after which the lock can be unlocked, the said tumbler plates being designed as rectangular ratchet plates which are displaceable between stationary plates and cooperate with a pawl spring mounted on a cover plate.

The known locks of this kind suffer from the drawback that they have to operated by several devices for adjusting the code and for locking or unlocking, which impedes the operation of the lock.

It is an object of the invention to relieve this drawback and this is accomplished by the invention by which only one operating dial is provided by means of which the code can be adjusted and the mechanism unlocked.

An essential feature of the combination lock according to the invention is that for each ratchet plate there is a plate having a slot serving as a guide for a rail provided on each ratchet plate, the said ratchet plates cooperating with a displaceable adjustment mechanism provided in the lock and having a row of teeth to cooperate with a gear-wheel mounted on a pivotable shaft passing through the lock. When the said gearwheel by means of an operating dial connected with the shaft is turned into a desired code position, the gearwheel will cause a lateral displacement of the adjustment mechanism, and an angularly bent lip provided on the said mechanism will then act upon the ratchet plates and displace them so that a slot provided in the said plates is brought into position opposite a dowel. The upper edge of the ratchet plates may further have a row of teeth cooperating with a pawl spring provided on a cover plate. As a result, the code may be adjusted with great accuracy.

According to the invention the dowel may be designed as an angularly projecting arm provided on a lever, one end of which is pivotably supported on a pin mounted on a cover plate, the said lever having a projecting cam for cooperating with an arm, one end of which is pivotably mounted on a pin attached to a plate which is displaceable between a release bar and a cover plate, the free end of the arm having an angularly bent part serving to engage the release bar, and by means of a spring the said free end of the arm is forced against the cam provided on the lever so that the dowel is pressed against the ratchet plates and at the proper adjustment of the code the dowel engages the slots provided in the ratchet plates and with the upward movement the free end of the arm, which with the angularly bent part is in engagement with the front edge of the release bar, is lifted. When the operating dial is turned into unlocking position, that is, in the direction opposite that of the code adjustment, an arm projecting from the shaft acts upon a lip provided on the release bar and displaces the latter and consequently the engaging arm, which carries with it the displaceable plate that is connected with the pin and the rear edge of which has a lip adapted to engage a cam provided on a latch, and which when displaced carries with it the said cam and consequently the latch into the unlocking position. The result obtained is that it is possible to unlock the device by means of the identical operating dial that is used for adjustment of the code.

According to the invention the release bar may have an oblique edge which, on displacement of the bar into 'ice unlocked.

According to the invention the latch may have two guide pins about which are provided pressure springs tensioned between the head of the latch and an angularly bent edge of the adjustment mechanism. The result obtained is that after completing its functions in unlocking position the latch is automatically returned to the locking position and at the same time the adjustment mechanism, which is displaceable on the guide pins, is returned to the starting position.

Further features of the invention will appear from the following and from the drawing which shows an embodiment of a combination lock according to the invention and in which FIG. 1 shows a combination lock according to the invention viewed in perspective rear view,

FIG. 2 the same view as FIG. 1 from the right side of FIG. 1, as shown by lines II-II in FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 a detail in the same seen from the front side of the lock, the front wall of which is omitted,

FIGS. 4-6 show principal parts of the lock in exploded perspective,

I FIG. 7 shows an adjusting mechanism in the lock, and

FIG. 8 shows the latch of the lock viewed from the rear side of the lock.

The combination lock consists of a casing having a front wall 1 and a cover 2, arranged inside the casing is an inner guiding box 3 for a number of tumbler-plates, 3 for instance, 27, 28, 39, respectively, which are to be adjusted according to a predetermined number code for the lock by means of an adjusting mechanism 7-12. A number dial 16 fixed upon a pivotable shaft 16a has a pinion 17 coacting with a row of teeth 9 in the adjusting mechanism for longitudinal displacing of each tumblerplate 27, 28, 29 to .a position corresponding to a digit in the predetermined code by dialing said digit by means of the number dial 16.

Between the tumbler plates 27 and 28 is arranged a stationary guiding plate 47 as shown in FIG. 1, inside and between the tumbler plates 28 and Z9 is arranged another stationary guiding plate 48, just as there is provided a third stationary guiding plate 49 between tumbler plate 29 and a back wall 3a of the guiding box 3. These stationary guiding plates 47, 48 and 49 prevent the tumbler plates from rubbing against each other so that either of the tumbler plates can be adjusted longitudinally Without disturbing each other. The guiding box 3 has an end plate 3b limiting the longitudinal movement to the left 'hand in FIG. 1 and 5 of the tumbler plates, and an angular lip 50 coacting with a lock 30 provided on the one edge of each tumbler plate serving as a stop for the longitudinal movement to the right hand in FIG. 5 of the tumbler plate, when these are in starting position as shown in FIG. 1. In the same edge of the tumbler plate is provided a notch 44, the position of which is determined by the code, and the notches 44 must be aligned for unlocking the look. A stationary pawl spring 52 is fixed in the guiding box 3 and formed to engage a row of teeth 53 provided in the tumbler plate in their edges 0pposite the lock 30 and the notch 44, thereby securing a stepwise longitudinal movement of the tumbler plates a during their displacing by the adjustment mechanism 7-12. Each tumbler plate is provided in its right hand edge with a lug 46, which in the starting position of the tumbler plates projects in front of the stationary .guiding plates 47, 48, 49 adapted to coact with the adjusting mechanism.

Said adjusting mechanism consists of a first displacea ble plate 7 with a rectangular opening 8, one edge of which has a row of teeth 9 co-acting with the pinion 17 on the shaft 16a. By turning the dial 16 in the clockwise direction the first displaceable plate 7 will be displaced a distance in the direction shown by an arrow a in FIGS. 1 and 7. Said first displaceable plate 7 is guided in the front wall 1 and in guiding pins 40 which project from the latch 38 through holes in the flange 10 situated on the left hand side of the first displaceable plate 7. In the first displaceable plate 7 is guided in flanges 10a and 1% a second displaceable plate 11 for movement in traverse direction in relation to the movement of the first displaceable plate as shown by an arrow b in FIGS. 1 and 7. The second displaceable plate 11 has two angular bent lugs 12 and 15. The first 12 of said lugs is adapted to coact with the right band edge of the tumbler plates 27-29, when the first displaceable plate 7 is moved in the direction of the arrow 0 by means of the pinion 17 and by dialing the code digit by means of the dial 16. The second, 15, of said lugs is acted upon by a 'wire spring 14, fixed upon pins 14a, 141). said spring 14 serving to :move the second displaceable plate 11 stepwise in the direction shown by the arrow b until the first lug 12 is stopped by the lugs 46 on the tumbler plates 27-29.

Adjacent the pinion 17 the shaft 16 carries an arm 18 which when the shaft 16 in the running back of the dial 16, caused by a dial spring enclosed in a cap 16b acts upon the lug and thereby the arm 18 serves to move the first displaceable plate 7 back to its starting position as shown in FIGS. 1 and 7. In FIG 1 the first lug 12 is shown in position to engage the first tumbler plate 27 and when the dial -16 is turned clockwise this tumbler plate will be displaced to the left as shown by the'arro-w a a distance corresponding to the angular movement of the dial which have finger holes 160 for dialing the digits of the code. The dial 16 is stopped when the dialing finger (not shown) abuts a finger stop 16d ion the house of the dial 16, and when the dialing finger leaves the hole 160 used by the dialing, a spiral spring in the cap 16b will bring the dial 16 back to its starting position so that the next digit in the code may be dialed. In the meantime the wire spring 14 will displace the second displaceable plate 11 and the first lug 12 in the direction shown by the arrow b until lug 12 abuts lug 46 of the following tumbler plate 28, and in the next dialing of the dial 16 this tumbler plate 28 will be moved by the lug 12 in the direction shown by the arrow a a number of steps according to the dialed next digit in the code and so on until each tumbler plate 27-29 is displaced to the coded position. The stationary pawl spring 52 serves to secure the stepwise movement of each tumbler plate so that these cannot stop in an intermediate position.

If the correct code-number has been dialed, the notches 44 now will be aligned and as soon as the last tumbler plate 29 is adjusted to its correct position a dowel 43 situated on a lever 24 pivotable on a fixed spindle 42 will be pressed into all the notches 44. A tap 25 provided on the lever 24 will thereby be lifted and an arm 31 pivotable on a displaceable plate 32 in a point 33 will be moved upward acted upon by a spring 35. An angular bent edge 34 on the arm 31 thereby comes in contact with a lip 22 provided on the outer end of a release bar 21, and when the dial 16 now is turned in an anti-clockwise direction for unlocking the lock a cam 19 provided on the shaft 16a acts upon a flange 20 provided on the release bar 21 and displaces said release bar in a direction shown byan arrow 0. By this the lip 22 is in mesh with the angular bent edge 34 on the arm 31 thereby carrying the arm 31 in the direction shown by the arrow 0 together with the displaceable plate 32, which is provided with an angular projecting lug 37 coacting with a cam 39 provided on one of the guiding pins 40, as shown in FIG. 8. By this the latch 38' will be displaced in a direction shown by an arrow d to unlock the lock against the pressure from two pressure springs 41 provided on the guide pins 40 and serving to urge the latch 38 into locking position. By the same movement of the release bar 21 and the displaceable plate 32 an oblique edge 23 situated on the release bar 21 coacts with the tap 25, which is fixed upon the lever 24, and pushes said lever 24 in a downward direction by which movement the dowel 43 is pushed out of the notches 44. The tumbler plate 27-29 will now be displaced to the starting positions by an arm 26 which connects the release bar 21 and the lever 24 and coacts with the lock 30 on the tumbler plates 2729 until these abut the angular lip 50. v

If in contrary at least one of the tumbler plates 27-29 has not been moved to its correct position, where its notch 44 is aligned with the notches in the other tumbler plates, the dowel 43 will be prevented from moving into the notches 44. If the dial 16 then is turned in anti-clockwise direction the cam 19 acts upon .the flange 20 on the release bar 21 and thereby displacesthe release bar 21 in the direction shown by the arrow 0; the oblique edge 23 provided on the release bar 21 will push the tap 25 downwards and keep the arm 31 depressed against the action of the spring 35 so that the edge 34 will not abut the lip 22, and the displaceable plate 32 will not be displaced by the cam 19 in the direction of the arrow c. Then the lug 37 will not engage the cam 39 on the guiding pin 40 and it will not be possible to displace the latch 38 and thereby unlock the lock.

Any test made by a person who does not know the code will not succeed in unlocking the look even by trying again and again, and it will not be possible to find the correct code because every adjustment of the tumbler plates 2829 will be cancelled as soon as the dial 16 is turned in anti-clockwise direction, when at least one of the notches 44 is not aligned with the other. As the number of tumbler plates may be more than three as shown on the drawing and the number of teeth 9 maybe more-than seven as likewise shown on the drawing, the code number may be very high and the possibility by trying and trying again to find the correct code number will be very small.

The lock is designed as a door lock, but may with a slight modification be used as a steering wheel lock for motor cars.

What I desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A combination lock having a latching mechanism with locked and unlocked states, said lock comprising a plurality of movable tumbler plates, each having a notch, a dowel adapted for being moved into the notches of the tumbler plates for controlling unlocking of the latching mechanism of the lock, a release bar for acting on said dowel, an adjusting mechanism for stepwise adjusting said plates such that said notches in said tumbler plates can be aligned opposite said dowel which controls the unlocking of the lock, said adjusting mechanism including a pivotable shaft, a gear wheel on said shaft and adapted to displace each tumbler plate to a predetermined position according to a number code .and an operating dial on said shaft turnable in opposite directions for adjusting said tumbler plates when turned one direction and for displacing the release bar when turned in the opposite direction to cancel any previous adjustment of the tumbler plates if at least one of the notches is not aligned with another and to withdraw the dowel from the notches when the latching mechanism is unlocked.

2. A combination lock comprising a plurality of movable tumbler plates, each having a notch, a dowel adapted for being moved into the notches of the tumbler plates for controlling unlocking of the lock, a pivotal lever supporting the dowel, a release bar for acting on said dowel, an adjusting mechanism for adjusting the position of the plates such that the notches in said tumbler plates are aligned opposite said dowel, a displaceable plate, a spring loaded arm pivotally supported on said plate, said lever having a flange which liberates the movement of said spring loaded arm, said arm having an angulated edge portion at a free end thereof which is engageable with said release bar, a rotatable shaft including an arm in engagement with said release bar and an operating dial for stepwise adjusting said tumbler plates when the dial is turned in a clockwise direction, and when turned in counterclockwise direction said arm on the shaft acts on said release bar to displace said bar and said displaceable plate, a latch member having locking and unlocking positions for the lock, and a cam on said latch member which is contacted by said displaceable plate and displaced therewith such that said latch member is displaced into an unlocking position of the lock.

3. A lock as claimed in claim 2 wherein said release bar has an oblique edge which, when the bar is displaced acts upon said flange on said lever forcing the dowel out of engagement with the notches of the tumbler plates, said release bar including an angularly projecting arm which acts upon each tumbler plate for returning said tumbler plates into their initial positions when the release bar is displaced by the movement of said arm on the shaft, when said shaft is turned counterclockwise by means of the operating dial.

4. A lock as claimed in claim 2 wherein said latch member includes two guide pins with compression springs arranged between the latch member and the adjusting mechanism, said springs being adapted to return said adjusting mechanism to its initial position and said latch member to the locking position.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 651,347 6/ 1900 Eyster 70-299 769,146 9/1904 Bright 70-299 X 2,346,513 4/ 1944 Sidelinker 70-299 BOBBY R. GAY, Primary Examiner.

ALBERT H. KAMPE, Examiner. 

1. A COMBINATION LOCK HAVING A LATCHING MECHANISM WITH LOCKED AND UNLOCKED STATES, SAID LOCK COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF MOVABLE TUMBLER PLATES, EACH HAVING A NOTCH, A DOWEL ADAPTED FOR BEING MOVED INTO THE NOTCHES OF THE TUMBLER PLATES FOR CONTROLLING UNLOCKING OF THE LATCHING MECHANISM OF THE LOCK, A RELEASE BAR FOR ACTING ON SAID DOWEL, AN ADJUSTING MECHANISM FOR STEPWISE ADJUSTING SAID PLATES SUCH THAT SAID NOTCHES IN SAID TUMBLER PLATES CAN BE ALIGNED OPPOSITE SAID DOWEL WHICH CONTROLS THE UNLOCKING OF THE LOCK, SAID ADJUSTING MECHANISM INCLUDING A PIVOTABLE SHAFT, A GEAR WHEEL ON SAID SHAFT AND ADAPTED TO DISPLACE EACH TUMBLER PLATE TO A PREDETERMINED POSITION ACCORDING TO A NUMBER CODE AND AN OPERATING DIAL ON SAID SHAFT TURNABLE IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS FOR ADJUSTING SAID TUMBLER PLATES WHEN TURNED ONE DIRECTION AND FOR DISPLACING THE RELEASE BAR WHEN TURNED IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION TO CANCEL ANY PREVIOUS ADJSTMENT OF THE TUMBLER PLATES IF AT LEAST ONE OF THE NOTCHES IS NOT ALIGNED WITH ANOTHER AND TO WITHDRAW THE DOWEL FROM THE NOTCHES WHEN THE LATCHING MECHANISM IS UNLOCKED. 